Earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria: Nearly 20,000 dead.
According to authorities, the death toll from the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria has reached nearly 20,000, while tens of thousands more have been injured. This figure is significantly higher than the 1999 earthquake of similar magnitude 7.8 in northwestern Turkey, which killed 17,000 people.
Many people in Türkiye and Syria have had to spend a third night sleeping outside or in their cars in the freezing winter weather. Their homes were destroyed or damaged by the earthquake, leaving them too afraid to go back inside.
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The death toll from the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria has risen to nearly 20,000. Photo: Reuters |
Authorities say around 6,500 buildings in Türkiye have collapsed and countless others have been damaged in the earthquake-stricken region, home to about 13 million people. Rescue teams are racing against time to save survivors in the harsh winter weather conditions.
The situation is particularly worrying in Syria, a country already struggling with a humanitarian crisis for years due to conflict and a cholera outbreak. On February 9th, the third day after the earthquake, the first aid convoy was finally able to reach the opposition-controlled northwestern region of Syria.
On February 9, the United Nations stressed the need to avoid "politicizing" aid to earthquake victims in Syria, and urged the United States and the European Union to ensure that aid delivery is "unimpeded."
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed: "The heart of solidarity must be directed toward those who are suffering immensely. The earthquake occurred as the humanitarian crisis in northwestern Syria worsened, with the need for humanitarian assistance at its highest level since the conflict began. And the United Nations has done everything it can to respond."
We are deploying experts to the area to assess the disaster, coordinate search and rescue operations, and provide food, medical supplies, warm blankets, and other life-saving items. And we are committed to doing even more."
The United Nations announced it has disbursed $25 million from its emergency fund and plans to launch an appeal for emergency aid for Syria early next week. Meanwhile, the European Union plans to hold an international funding conference to support Türkiye and Syria in recovering from the earthquake.
